Hume's White-eye

 
Warning - long post!

Having been asked many times what to do what one comes across a fallen chick, my answer is simply to place it up any branch close by to where it's found.  The parents undoubtedly will come looking for it.  If you feel uneasy over its safety or simply leaving it alone, then remain close by and watch over it till the parents return.  The following scene certainly reinforces my belief.

(1100)
The extraordinary behaviour of a pair of Hume's White-eyes with food in beaks flying down into the undergrowth alerted me to the possibility of a fallen young close by.  I had thought that there couldn't be a nest because these birds are known to typically build cup-like nests between branch forks or even hanging from branches.

And true enough, following the track of the birds and faint wispy cries, I managed to locate the young.  It must have been blown off its nest perhaps the day before due to terribly strong winds in the area.  Nevertheless, my efforts to locate any nest down there (if by chance the birds decided to break away from its traditional nesting location!) as expected came to naught.

The parents came feeding almost every less than 10 mins.  Both parents always arrived together to feed one after the other.  It was also a happy realization for me that food is indeed abundant in the area as the birds could return so soon, frequently and consistently with feeds ranging from wild berries to insects.

At the same time the parents were busy posturing and calling noisily to entice the chick to fly up to where they were but unfortunately the little one paid no heed. 

(1215)
It took me by surprise when the little one suddenly flew out and down to the walkway. 

(It was fortunate that it was noon and there were hardly any walkers around.)

Perhaps it was attempting to fly across the walkway to the other side of twigs and branches of trees sprawled down the slope.  Unfortunately it was more of a flutter as it dropped to the ground and had to flutter to the curbside, but eventually managed to fly up to the closest open branch below curbside level.

And down to settle on a branch below.

Due to my momentary lapse of attention, I almost missed how this parent made an immediate but touch-and go appearance.

Fortunately both parents almost immediately resumed feeding at intervals of approximately every 5 minutes now.

When the last parent left, it almost threw off its young who seemed to display sufficient grip strength now to remain balanced.  Perhaps if it had stronger grip then, it would not have presumably fallen off its nest.

Mainly protein feeds.

When it's the exception.

(1310)
More than 2 hours now, the fledgling took me by surprise again by suddenly flying down into the bushy undergrowth, and my efforts this time to locate it was in vain.  Could it be that more than 2 hours of constant feeding have really enabled it to fly further this time?

Lingering around and hoping to detect movements or cries was in vain.

During my more than two hours of observation, a constant was both parents always arrived together to feed, one after the other.  None remained behind to look out for their young.  A mere brief duration of almost non-stop feeding seemed sufficient to revitalise a growing fledgling.

And now some comical, amusing and delightful moments in sequence of how the fledgling whiled its time when left alone, preening and snoozing.

Snoozing.

Snoozing again, but managed to maintain its grip.

A 'wakey' for a feed.

I should have guessed that these displays could be forewarning of its readiness for flight.

And the last I saw the fledgling before it took off.  Nevertheless, bravo!